Survey and sediments in the 'ager' of ancient 'setia' (Lazio, Central Italy) (original) (raw)
Related papers
The presence of the Early Bronze Age Avellino (AV) tephra in the Holocene lacustrine deposits of the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct the Holocene depositional environment at the time of AV-tephra deposition. Marine terraces of the last Pleistocene transgression have been consolidated by soil formation and incised during the last glacial. This created a gully landscape in the Fondi basin and in the southeastern Agro Pontino. The inland central part of the Agro Pontino was drained by one major gully. At the final part of subsequent Holocene sea level rise, beach ridges closed the southeastern marine lagoons, creating a lacustrine and marshy environment. Shortly after, the Avellino eruption deposited its sandy tephra in these freshwater environments. By comparing altitudes of the AV-tephra in different environments two major implications emerge. First, at those locations where the AV-tephra is underlain by thick Holocene peaty and clayey deposits, significant subsidence occurred, while this has been limited at locations where the Pleistocene marine terrace occurs close to the surface. This subsidence is independently checked by comparing a modern LiDAR DEM and a detailed DEM from 1928. Second, the altitude of the AV-tephra reflects sea level in the coastal positions around 1.5 to 2m a.s.l., while the only gully draining the lacustrine and marshy inland Agro Pontino was blocked around 0.5m a.s.l. by the expanding sediment wedge of the Amaseno River, the major draining axis of the Agro Pontino. The AV-tephra layer will continue to play an important role in regional geological, palaeoenvironmental and geo-archaeological research.
Marconi et al.: Provenance of the Cotignola quarry sands (Northern Apennines) as a tool for palaeogeographical studies on the action of Senio and Santerno rivers in the Romagna floodplain. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2008). Palaeogeographic studies on western Romagna plain focus on the location of the ancient pattern of Santerno river, that nowadays joins Reno river before reaching the Adriatic sea near Ravenna. Several authors agree on locating this river in an eastern position during Roman Age and suggest an overlap of Santerno and Senio rivers in the Cotignola floodplain (Fig. 2). Outcrops of recent fluvial sediments are exposed at Cotignola quarry, near Faenza (Northern Apennines, Italy). According to the the present hydrography, the top sediments (age: ca 1.000 yrs) were deposited only by the action Senio river. On the contrary, the most ancient alluvial deposits of Cotignola quarry display different geological features suggesting a combination of Santerno and Senio contributions. In the sediment source areas of both rivers there are extensive sandstones and marls outcrops belonging to the " Marnoso-Arenacea " formation. Though, the Santerno source area stands out because it also contains basic volcanic and metamorphic rocks, coarse-grai-ned carbonates and cherts (deep oceanic and ophiolithic lithotypes belonging to the " Ligurian Units "). These rocks can be considered as petrographic tracers of Santerno drainage basin provenance. Sand samples were collected at Cotignola quarry and compared by means of petrographical analysis to the present day fluvial sands of Santerno deposits, which are to be considered as compositional standard for sediments resulting from the contribution of this river. At Cotignola quarry basic volcanic and metamorphic, coarse-grained carbonate and chert rock fragments occur in the most ancient sediments, whereas they decrease or disappear upward in the more recent sediments. These results prove that the upper sand top of Cotignola quarry is due only to sedimentation by Senio river, while the lower layers can be considered as the result of contributions from both rivers. Furthermore, a sand sample was collected near Maiano Monti (age: ca 2.200 yrs BP, radiometric dating), which is located in the flood-plain included between Senio and Santerno close to the northern part Senio river (Fig. 4). The petrographic analyses detect the presence of the ophiolithic tracers in the composition of sands collected at Maiano-Monti. The sediments provenance implement the hypothesis of an eastern location of Roman Santerno river in the Cotignola floodplain and suggest an overlap of its ancient pattern with that of Senio river, according to the archeologic and stratigraphic evidences (Fig. 2 and 3). Riassunto: Marconi et al.: Provenienza delle sabbie alluvionali recenti della cava di Cotignola e implicazioni sullo studio della paleo-geografia dei fiumi Senio e Santerno nella pianura romagnola (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2008). Gli studi di paleoidrografia storica della porzione occidentale della pianura romagnola sono imperniati, soprattutto, sulla ricerca del tracciato antico del fiume Santerno, il quale proviene dall'Imolese e attualmente confluisce nel fiume Reno poco prima della foce di questo nell'Adriatico, a nord di Ravenna. La maggioranza degli autori recenti concorda sull'ipotesi che durante l'epoca romana il Santerno avesse in pianura un tracciato più orientale di oltre una decina di kilometri rispetto all'attuale, attraversando la zona di Cotignola, a nord di Faenza, oggi solcata dal solo torrente Senio (Fig. 2). Nella porzione sommitale della cava per laterizi di Cotignola affiorano sabbie alluvionali (deposte circa 1.000 anni fa secondo la profon-dità del piano di calpestio medievale nell'area) geomorfologicamente correlabili con il vicino dosso fluviale del Senio. A profondità di oltre 5-6 m affiorano argille e sabbie in facies di piana esondabile sottostanti i piani di calpestio di età romana. Allo scopo di verificare la provenienza delle alluvioni di età romana e pre-romana della cava di Cotignola, sono stati raccolti dei cam-pioni di sabbie per l'analisi petrografica lungo l'intera sezione stratigrafica e confrontati con un campione di sabbie prelevate nell'alveo attuale del Santerno, circa 10 km a valle di Imola. Infatti, in entrambi i bacini appenninici fonte di sedimento per il Senio e il Santerno affiorano estesamente le arenarie arcosiche e le marne della formazione " Marnoso-Arenacea " , ma solamente in quello del Santerno affiorano anche rocce basiche vulcaniche e meta-morfiche, selci e carbonati a grana grossa, cioè litotipi oceanici profondi e ofiolitici delle " Unità Liguridi ". Questi ultimi (ed in particolare le ofioliti) hanno quindi assunto, ai fini di questo lavoro, il significato di traccianti per discernere la provenienza dei granuli dall'area fonte del Santerno. Le sabbie basali della cava Cotignola risultano ricche in carbonati a grana grossa e selci e contengono frammenti di rocce basiche vul-caniche e metamorfiche, mentre quelle sommitali sono relativamente povere in queste componenti. In sostanza, i risultati dell'analisi modale confermano la deposizione da parte del solo Senio per gli strati sommitali della cava, mentre indicano, ragionevolmente, un contributo anche da parte del Santerno per la deposizione dei sedimenti profondi e più antichi. Un ulteriore confronto è stato eseguito con un campione di sabbie medio-grossolane, per cui la datazione radiometrica (14 C) ha indica-to un'età compresa tra 2.300-2.110 e 2.200-2.090 anni, prelevato in carotaggio a profondità di circa 11 metri presso Maiano Monti, località prossima al corso del Senio ubicata circa 12 km a nord di Cotignola (Fig.4). Anche la composizione di questo campione di sabbie depostesi in età immediatamente pre-romana mostra un probabile contributo di granuli provenienti dal bacino di drenaggio del Santerno, inclusa la presenza dei traccianti ofiolitici, analogamente ai sedimenti basali della cava di Cotignola Dallo studio sulla provenienza delle sabbie della piana di Cotignola si conferma più compiutamente l'ipotesi, in accordo con le ricostru-zioni paleoidrografiche su base archeologica descritte in Figura 2, della presenza di un tracciato in questa zona del Santerno in età romana e pre-romana, al quale, dopo il suo spostamento verso ovest in epoca medievale, si è poi sovrapposto l'attuale dosso fluviale del Senio.
A sequence of marine terraces near Latina (Agro Pontino, central Italy)
CATENA, 1982
A detailed physiographic soil survey has been carried out in the NWpart ofthe Agro Pontino, near Latina. Four marine terraces and extensive eolian sand covers were found. The oldest marine terrace, the Latina complex, largely consists of augitic fine sands of marinelagoonal origin. Towards the end ofthe transgression (ofuncertain age) some minor sea level fluctuations occurred. The next marine terrace, the Mintumo complex, is thought to date from the Tyrrhenian II transgression and was preceded by a major regression. This has the characteristics of a normal transgressive system, including late minor sea level fluctuations. The beachridge andlagoonal deposits are slightly tilted to the SWand are underlain by littoral gravels, most probably derived from the adjacent Latina complex through strong abrasion. Following a minor regression another marine terrace was formed (the Borgo Ermada complex). This terrace is considered to date from the Tyrrhenian III transgression, but has a regressive character, a phenomenon which can be explained by assuming a synformational tectonic tilting, some evidence for which is found. During a subsequent major regression (Wtirmian) eolian sands were repeatedly deposited, particularly on the Borgo Ermada complex. This was followed by the formation of a simple beachridge-lagoon system during the Holocene (the Terracina complex). The datings are based on correlation with sequences elsewhere, the two marine faunas studied give no clue as to their ages.
The oldest lithic industries of the Agro Pontino (Latium, central Italy
Journal of Mediterranean Earth Sciences, 2023
Recent chronostratigraphic and paleoclimatic investigations carried out in the Pontine Plain (Agro Pontino) have made it possible to better specify the chronological position of the oldest lithic industries found in the area. The terrains in which the rare bifaces and choppers were found in the localities of Le Ferriere-Torre del Giglio and Valloncello as well as the microlitic industry from an excavation essay carried out in Quarto delle Cinfonare, have been correlated with the MIS 9 aggradational succession (340-320 ka). These lithic artifacts hold the oldest testimonies (late Lower Paleolithic) of the anthropic population of the Pontine territory. In Campoverde, on the other hand, the complex succession of deposits containing the archeological materials, including the MIS 7.5 aggradational succession and younger colluvial deposits, made it possible to hypothesize the coexistence of two lithic technocomplexes. The oldest lithic industry, attributable to the early Middle Paleolithic, is mainly characterized by denticulates, borers, and choppers while the most recent set, with a strong presence of sidescrapers, has significant similarities with the Pontinian Mousterian.
Palaeohistoria: Acta et Communicationes Instituti Bio-Archaeologici Universitatis Groninganae, 2005
have published a study on historic relief change and land reconstruction in the area (Feiken & Van Leusen, 2001). The finds collected in the survey were, however, not published so far. In this article we first discuss methodological issues concerning both the survey and the artefact studies. We will thereby focus on problems of site definition and periodization of the ceramic assemblages. Next, we will deal with site classification in order to present an overview of the settlement history, discussing site and off-site data in period maps. Finally, we will place the observed developments in settlement patterns in their regional historical perspective. We will pay special attention to issues of continuity versus change in an attempt to trace changes in the rural exploitation of the area and to relate these changes to socioeconomic processes. Regarding previous research we may remark here that the presence of lithic industry in the area was noted in the 1970s and 1980s by Italian researchers who collected lithic material from the areas of Cerreto Alto (La Rosa, 2002) near the survey area and Colle Parito (La Rosa et al., 1989-1990) within the survey area. Colle Parito, where thousands of lithic artefacts were collected, proved to be an important open site that could be assigned to the Gravettian-Epigravettian culture. Known archaeological contexts of the ceramic periods are the Roman villa of Archi di San Donato, the supposed way stations Ad Turres Albas and Clostris along the Via Severiana and some
Buried architecture of the Quaternary Vittorio Veneto basin (NE Italy)
Bollettino di Geofisica Teorica ed Applicata
A geological survey and analysis of the borehole stratigraphies enabled us to characterise the buried architecture of the Quaternary basin of Vittorio Veneto (NE Italy). The study area belongs to the Neogene-Quaternary front of the eastern Southern Alps: the Montello and the Cansiglio thrusts show much evidence of Quaternary activity and are considered seismic sources capable of destructive earthquakes. As a result of the 1936 earthquake, strong site effects became manifest in Ceneda and Serravalle, located respectively to the south and north of Vittorio Veneto. A geological and geomorphological survey enabled us to point out the surficial characteristics of the Vittorio Veneto basin, carved in the Tertiary Molasse. In order to characterize lithology and geometry of the Quaternary sediments and reconstruct the geometry of the bedrock-surface, about sixty borehole stratigraphies were analyzed. Bedrocksurface dips gently northwards: an effect of the tectonic activity of the Montello thrust. Maximum thickness of Quaternary sediments (more than 80 m) is located south of the Serravalle gorge. Three Quaternary sedimentary units have been recognised in the subsurface of the Vittorio Veneto basin: 1) a sandy-gravelly body (with maximum thickness of about 70 m) of alluvial and glacial origin that almost completely fills the Vittorio Veneto basin and contains an important aquifer; 2) thinner sedimentary bodies (with medium thickness about 10-15 m) that form the alluvial fans at the base of the reliefs and are composed of a close sequence of silts, muds and clays interbedded with thin gravelly levels; 3) finally in the Lapisina valley, north of Serravalle gorge, prevailing sands with lenses of lacustrine silts and peat deposits form a sedimentary body that locally reaches 20-30 m in thickness.
This article describes results of a soil survey of the Agro Pontino. The soils in the region reflect the influence of parent material, drainage, slope class, and time, which are incorporated in the classification of the soils. The soil map provided a framework for the archaeological survey.